Ancient Tagalog Deities in Philippine

The stories of ancient Philippine mythology include deities, creation stories, mythical creatures, and
beliefs. Ancient Philippine mythology varies among the many indigenous tribes of the Philippines.
Some groups during the pre-Spanish conquest era believed in a single Supreme Being who created
the world and everything in it, while others chose to worship a multitude of tree and forest deities
(diwatas). Diwatas came from the Sanskrit word devata which means “deity“, one of the several
significant Hindu influences in the Pre-Hispanic religion of the ancient Filipinos. Below are some
of the gods and goddesses among the Tagalogs of the ancient Philippines:

The Tagalog people are a major ethnic group in the Philippines. They form a majority in Manila,
Marinduque and southern Luzon, and a plurality in Central Luzon and the islands of Mindoro,
Palawan, and Romblon.

Good Tagalog Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology

The first part as shown below were the residents of Kaluwalhatian (the Ancient
Tagalog Skyworld). The list is divided into generations based on common beliefs about the
offspring of the gods.

FIRST GENERATION GODS:

Bathala – The supreme god of being; creator of man and earth and addressed sometimes as
Bathalang Maykapal. He dwells in Kaluwalhatian together with the lesser gods and goddesses.
Aside from the lesser gods and goddesses, he sent his anitos in order to assist the daily lives of every
human. When most of the natives were converted to Christianity during the Spanish Era, he was
referred to the Christian God. [Click here to learn more about Bathala]

Amanikable – Originally this god was worshipped as the god of Hunters. In more modern stories
he has become associated as the ill-tempered god of the sea, replacing Aman Sinaya among of the
first generation gods (aside from Bathala), he was never married after his love was spurned by a
beautiful mortal maiden, Maganda. In frustration, he swore vengeance against the humans by
sending turbulent waves and horrible tempests in order to wreck boats and to drown men.

Idiyanale – The goddess of labor and good deeds. Natives used to call for her guidance in order to
make their works successful. She married Dimangan and had two offspring.
Dimangan The god of good harvest. He was married to Idiyanale and had two offspring.

Ikapati – The goddess of cultivated land. She was the most understanding and kind among the
deities of Bathala. Her gift to man was agriculture. As the benevolent giver of food and prosperity,
she was respected and loved by the people. From her came fertility of fields and health of flocks and
herds.

Ikapati was said to have married Mapulon, god of seasons. They had a daughter
named Anagolay, who became the goddess of lost things. When Anagolay attained maidenhood,
she married Dumakulem, son of Idianale and Dumangan, by whom she had two
children, Apolake, who became god of the sun and patron of warriors, and Dian Masalanta, who
became goddess of lovers.

Lakapati – Often confused with Ikapati from variant Tagalog pantheons, Lakapati was a major
fertility deity. During sacrifices made in a new field, the farmer would hold up a child and say,
“Lakapati, pakanin mo yaring alipin mo; huwag mong gutumin [Lakapati, feed this thy slave; let
him not hunger]” (San Buenaventura 1613, 361).
Prominent among deities who received full-blown sacrifices were fertility gods. Lakapati, fittingly
represented by a hermaphrodite image with both male and female parts, was worshiped in the fields
at planting time.

Mapulon – The god of seasons and husband of Ikapati of whom they had a daughter.

SECOND GENERATION GODS:

Mayari – The goddess of the moon and one of the three daughters of Bathala by a mortal woman.
She was the most charming of all the goddesses. She had two sisters, Tala and Hanan.

Tala – The goddess of the stars; sister of Mayari and Hanan and one of the three daughters of
Bathala by a mortal woman.

Hanan – The goddess of morning; sister of Mayari and Tala and one of the three daughters of
Bathala by a mortal woman.

Dumakulem – The strong, agile guardian of mountains and the son of Idiyanale and Dimangan.
His sister was Anitun Tabu. He later married Anagolay.

Anitun Tabu – The fickle-minded goddess of wind and rain. She was the daughter of Idiyanale
and Dimangan and the sister of Dumakulem.

Anagolay – The goddess of lost things and the only offspring of Ikapati and Mapulon. She was
married to Dumakulem.

THIRD GENERATION GODS:

Apolaki – The god of sun and the chief patron of warriors. He was the son of Anagolay and
Dumakulem.

Diyan Masalanta – The goddess of love, conception and childbirth and the protector of lovers.
She was the daughter of Anagolay and Dumakulem and youngest of all the deities

Some variations exist depending on what source material you are referencing. Some of these
differences include:

 In some sources, Bathala is the father of Apolaki, aside from Mayari and Tala hence
excluding Hanan.
 In some sources, Amanikable is referred as a sea deity of the Manobo tribe.
 In some sources, Idiyanale is identified as the goddess of agriculture.
 In some sources, aside from being a goddess of agriculture, Idiyanale is also identified as
the goddess of animal husbandry.
 In some sources, Lakapati is identified as a hermaphrodite and confused with the female
deity Ikapati.
 In some creation myth, Mayari is the sister of Apolaki.
 In some sources, Mayari is identified as an one-eyed goddess.
 In some creation myth, Tala is the sister of Mayari and Apolaki and the daughter of
Bathala.
 In some creation myth, Apolaki is the brother of Mayari and the son of Bathala.
Harmful Tagalog Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology
The list includes the god/goddess-like, residents of Kasamaan (Ancient Tagalog Underworld).
They were the harmful entities all opposed to Bathala and the rest of his deities.

Sitan – The guardian of Kasamaan and the keeper of all souls therein, the counterpart of Satan. He
had four agents whose task was to lead man to sin and destruction.

Manggagaway – She was the first agent of Sitan and was primarily blamed as the cause of
diseases. Sometimes, she would change herself into a human form, appearing as a false healer. If she
wished to kill someone, she employed a magic wand.

Manisilat – The second agent of Sitan, she was tasked to destroy and break every happy and united
family that she could find.

Mangkukulam – The only male agent of Sitan, he was to emit fire at night and when there was bad
weather. Like his fellow agents, he could change his form to that of a healer and then induce fire at
his victim’s house. If the fire were extinguished immediately, the victim would eventually die. His
name remains today as witch.

Hukluban – The last agent of Sitan could change herself into any form she desired. She could kill
someone by simply raising her hand and could heal without any difficulty as she wished. Her name
literally means “crone” or “hag.”
Other Tagalog Deities in Philippine Mythology
The list includes the gods and goddesses who don’t have a unified pantheon within the Tagalog
deities mentioned above.

Aman Sinaya – She is the primordial goddess of the ocean and protector of fishermen.

Galang Kaluluwa (Wandering Spirit) – The winged god present in some creation myths who
loves to travel. He is identified as a close friend of Bathala.

Haik – god of the sea.

Lakambakod – The protector of the growing crops.

Lakambini – is know as the “pure maiden” for his incomparable beauty, ironic that he is a male
diwata. He was originally known as the god of “kapurihan”(purity) and is also the god of food,
festivity and anti-gluttony. worshiped mainly by men: they pray to Lakambini to let them find a
beautiful maiden to wed. An obscure deity called “abogado dela garganta” (throat advocate) by the
Spaniards and was turned into the god of gluttony.

Lingga – a phallic god.

Ulilang Kaluluwa (Orphaned Spirit) – It is a serpent god present in some creation myths that was
killed by Bathala after an ensuing rival.
Here’s our guide on the Philippine Legislative Process.

Introduction

First off, the Congress is not just composed of congressmen. The Congress is the
legislative branch of the country, and it consists of two chambers: the Senate (Upper
House) and House of Representatives (Lower House).

Image grabbed from Inquirer.net

The Senate has 24 seats, half of which are voted on by the nation every 3 years. Each
Senator serves a 6-year term, and can be a member of any of the 40 permanent
committees. They cannot serve for more than 2 consecutive terms.

Image grabbed from Wikimedia Commons

The House of Representatives (HOR), on the other hand, is composed of 292

representatives serving 238 districts and 47 party lists. Each representative can be a
member of the house’s 58 standing or 14 special committees. They serve a 3-year term
and can be re-elected but cannot go beyond 3 consecutive terms.

Bills and Resolutions

The job of a Senator or a Representative is to make laws that uphold the spirit of the
constitution. They can also amend or change the constitution itself. Senators and
Representatives work on two documents: bills and resolutions.

A resolution conveys principles and sentiments of the Senate or the HOR. They are
divided into:

 Joint resolutions – requires approval from the Senate, the HOR, and the
signature of the President. They have the force and effect of a law once
approved.
 Concurrent resolutions – used for matters affecting operations of both chambers
and must be approved in the same form by both. These are not transmitted to the
President; hence, they do not have the same force and effect of a law.
 Simple resolutions – deals with matters entirely within one of the chambers. As
such, these are not referred to the President and do not have the force and effect
of a law.

A bill, on the other hand, is a law in the making. These are the “proposed laws” or
“proposed amendment” you hear about in the news, like House Bill No. 2379, which
seeks to amend the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, the country’s 20-year-old
tax code. House Bills are those made by a Representative, while Senate Bills are those
made by a Senator.

From Bill to Republic Act: the Process

Going from a House or Senate Bill to a Republic Act is a long and arduous process. It
takes 3 readings and an approval from both chambers along with the signature of the
President before a bill can become a law, known in the Philippines as a Republic Act.

The full process is outlined by the 1987 Constitution. An infographic of this can be seen
on the Official Gazette.

The process goes along as follows:

1. Proposals and suggestions are taken from the President, government agencies,
private individuals, interest groups, and legislators themselves.
2. The author(s) then writes the bill and sign it before being filed with the
Secretary General. For the 17th Congress, that person is Atty. Cesar S. Pareja.

1. The bill then goes through three readings.

1. The first reading consists of reading the title and author(s) and its
referral to the appropriate committee(s). The committee then studies
the bill and either submits it to the Committee on Rules or is laid on
the table.
2. The second reading comes after the bill has been included in the
Calendar of Business by the Committee on Rules. This is when
sponsorships, debates, and amendments take place. A vote is taken
after all the debates and amendments, after which the bill is either
archived or goes through a third reading.
3. The third reading happens when the bill goes through a final check and
vote via roll call. If it’s approved, it is then sent to the other house,
where it goes through the same procedures. If not, it gets archived.

1. After going through three readings from both houses, the conference
committee of both houses ratifies the bill and submits it to the President for
signing. If, however, there are conflicts in the provisions proposed by both
Houses, a Bicameral Conference Committee is called upon to reconcile them.
 1. Once received by the Office of the President, the bill can take one of three
routes:

1. Approved. Once it is approved by the President, it becomes a Republic

Act and takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or
at least two national newspapers of general circulation;
2. Vetoed. The bill is returned to the originating house with an
explanation on why it was vetoed. The house can either accept the veto
or override it with a 2/3 (majority) vote, after which it is essentially
approved, and takes effect 15 days after being publicized.
3. Lapsed into law. A bill is said to have lapsed into law if the President
fails to act on it within 30 days after receiving the bill. It takes effect
15 days after being publicized.

Source: The Manila Survival Guide, Official Gazette